This Weekly Bulletin focuses on selected acute public health emergencies occurring in the WHO African Region. The WHO Health Emergencies Programme is currently monitoring 53 events in the region. This week’s edition covers key new and ongoing events, including:

Ongoing conflict in Jonglei continued to negatively affect humanitarian needs in the second quarter of 2018. The onset of the peak lean season saw deteriorating food security conditions in many locations across the state.

Clashes between armed actors and pervasive insecurity, particularly in the Greater Akobo area caused displacement among affected communities, negatively impacting the ability of populations to meet their primary needs.

The killing of four government officials in late September in Benishangul-Gumuz Region aggravated already existing ethnic tensions resulting in a large-scale intercommunal conflict displacing approximately 200,000 people along the Benishangul-Gumuz-Oromia border.

A polio vaccination campaign was successfully conducted in five zones of the Somali region between 23-26 September, reaching 486,816 children under 5 years of age.

On 10 November, a commercial vessel reached the port of Misrata, carrying 95 refugees and migrants who were intercepted at sea in the attempt to reach Europe, and who subsequently refused to disembark onto Libyan soil.

On 14 November, a total of 14 individuals, including a woman and a three-month-old baby, voluntarily disembarked the vessel, while the remaining 81 individuals have to date stayed aboard the ship.

Addis Ababa, 16 November 2018 – The Ethiopian Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, today started a second vaccination campaign to protect high-risk populations against yellow fever. More than 1.3 million people will be protected in this seven day campaign, which follows a smaller, more focused campaign in October.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM)continues to be actively involved in anumber of Migrants' Assistance projects and Human Mobility data collection activities in the Horn of Africa (HoA) and in the Arab Peninsula. This report aims atproviding an overview ofthe trends observed in thefirst halfof 2018 in theregion, across Ethiopia,Somalia, Djibouti, and Yemen.

LOCATION AND CAUSE OF DISPLACEMENT: 48,337 displaced individuals comprising 8,816 households in 54 displacement sites were identified in AFAR region. These figures represent a decrease of 5,243 in the total individuals (-9.79%) a decrease of 98 households (-1.10%) and no increase in sites since round 12 July/August 2018. 20.37% sites opened in 2017 and 1.85% opened in 2018. Climate factors were the primary cause of displacement for an estimated 33.92% of the displaced population.

LOCATION AND CAUSE OF DISPLACEMENT: 11,821 displaced individuals comprising 3,732 households in 47 displacement sites were identified in AMHARA region. These figures represent an increase of 6,038 in the total individuals (104.41%) an increase of 2,232 households (148.80%) and an increase of 13 sites (38.24%) since round 12 July/ August 2018. 48.94% sites opened in 2017 and 19.15% opened in 2018. Conflict was the primary cause of displacement for an estimated 97.91% of the displaced population.

LOCATION AND CAUSE OF DISPLACEMENT: 49,552 displaced individuals comprising 20,842 households in 103 displacement sites were identified in TIGRAY region. These figures represent an increase of 19,438 in the total individuals (64.55%) an increase of 9,526 households (84.18%) and an increase of 18 sites (21.18%) since round 12 July/August 2018. 7.77% sites opened in 2017 and 27.18% opened in 2018. Conflict was the primary cause of displacement for an estimated 97.64% of the displaced population.

LOCATION AND CAUSE OF DISPLACEMENT: 21,073 displaced individuals comprising 3,226 households in 14 displacement sites were identified in GAMBELLA region. These figures represent an increase of 8,338 in the total individuals (65.47%), an increase of 681 houesholds (26.76%) and an increase of 1 sites (7.69%) since round 12 July/ August 2018. 35.71% sites opened in 2017 and 28.57% opened in 2018. Conflict was the primary cause of displacement for an estimated 82.23% of the displaced population.

LOCATION AND CAUSE OF DISPLACEMENT: 1,016,166 displaced individuals comprising 168,246 households in 388 displacement sites were identified in SOMALI region. These figures represent a decrease of 75,044 in the total individuals (-6.88%) an decrease of 11,280 households (-6.28%) and an increase of 3 sites (0.78%) since round 12 July/August 2018. 59.54% sites opened in 2017 and 13.14% opened in 2018. Conflict was the primary cause of displacement for an estimated 65.45% of the displaced population.

The majority of the recorded population were displaced during 2017 with 599 sites reportedly opening in 2017 (DTM Rounds 3-8). In terms of overall cause of displacement, conflict was reported as the primary driver (1,472,209 IDPs), followed by displacement due to climate induced factors (531,001 IDPs). This trend is consistent over time, with conflict constantly being the primary cause of displacement across the country (see figure 1).

LOCATION AND CAUSE OF DISPLACEMENT: 53,580 displaced individuals comprising 8,914 households in 54 displacement sites were identified in AFAR region*. These figures represent an i n crease of 179 in the total individuals (0.34%) and no increase in the number of sites since round 11 (May/June 2018). 15.88% sites opened in 2017 and 0.00% opened in 2018. Drought was the primary cause of displacement for an estimated 36% of the displaced population.

LOCATION AND CAUSE OF DISPLACEMENT: 5,783 displaced individuals comprising 1,500 households in 34 displacement sites were identified in Amhara region. These figures represent a decrease of -1,027 in the total individuals (-15.08%) a decrease of -113 households (-7.01%) and an increase of 2 sites (6.25%) since round 11 (May/ June 2018). 40.77% sites opened in 2017 and 6.30% opened in 2018. Conflict was the primary cause of displacement for an estimated 90% of the displaced population.

12,735 displaced individuals comprising 2,545 households in 13 displacement sites were identified in Gambella region. These figures represent a decrease of -742 in the total individuals (-5.51%) a decrease of -150 households (-5.57%) and a decrease of -2 sites (-13.33%) since round 11 (May/ June 2018). 65.32% sites opened in 2017 and 4.00% opened in 2018. Conflict was the primary cause of displacement for an estimated 100% of the displaced population.

1,091,210 displaced individuals comprising 179,526 households in 385 displacement sites were identified in Somali region. These figures represent a increase of 217,544 in the total individuals (24.90%) an increase of 37,512 households (26.41%) and an increase of 23 sites (6.35%) since round 11 (May/June 2018). 43.14% sites opened in 2017 and 28.91% opened in 2018.
Conflict was the primary cause of displacement for an estimated 66% of the displaced population.